Telephone directory becoming unpopular

seager m

Jun 13th 2009, 00:01

who's fault now ? red / blue ... blue / red yardy yardy yah.... maybe yawn !!!

tis only an advert for 118/1182/1187/1189 !!!!

cant anyone read between the lines anymore ?

any real news ???

i thought the whole world stopped last week..............

Galea. L

Jun 12th 2009, 21:31

Are GO so misers that they are trying to find an excuse not to print the telephone directory?
It is our right to have a printed telephone directory and we demand a reprint NOW.
And please not with that tiny print that you have to have a microscope to see the numbers and details.

Mike Farrugia
You can keep your opinion to yourself and don't include others including me in your opinion. I demand my right to a printed telephone directory whether you like it or not.

pscerri I do not believe this survey as it's simply an excuse by GO not to print its directory as one of its obligations.

J Galea

Jun 12th 2009, 20:28

Why not help save the environment and distribute on demand 50% of the normal printing (if 60% never use it). The idea to give free 118 calls and have a free online version is environmentally friendly.

To reduce need for printed yellow pages Malta yellow pages online edition could be made more user friendly - you have to click on too many buttons to get simple info like telephone numbers, with email, website details etc. missing completely in most cases.

Charles Micallef

Jun 12th 2009, 20:17

Please stop wasting paper and STOP printing Phone Directories / Yellow Pages,
they are not worth the paper that they printed on!

I would invoke a charge if anyone wants one, as very few people / businesses uses them!

S. Mangion

Jun 12th 2009, 19:46

The printed directory is not relevant anymore as technology has made our lives easier.

However, we should not be selfish and respect the elderly who do not have so much access to the internet.

A fee to cover expenses should be made to cover the costs of a printed directory. The directory uses a lot of resources such as paper.

John Axisa

Jun 12th 2009, 19:32

I think the public is owed an explanation. Who is responsible to issue a directory? When was this last issued? How can you rate the popularity of a product that has expried for a number of years. Judging by the success of the Yellow Pages, I think the survey is not credible. Obviously, if they ask me whether I am using the telephone directory, my reply would be: "what directory? I am not aware that a directory has been published over the past years!!!....

Joe Grech

Jun 12th 2009, 18:41

The funny thing is that the Telephone Directory may not be reprinted but then government allows the company running the YELLOW PAGES to print THAT every year! It does not make sense to print the latter so frequently - it is printed so often ONLY because this generates BIG INCOME for the company that's exploiting businesses relentlessly. People do not bother to take in the new copy of the YELLOW PAGES and as for efficient door to door collection of the old copy that is the greatest farce - or rather lie. Many old copies remain there to be discarded into the skips some day or other.
Government should prohibit the company from printing the Yellow Pages every year if it concerns itself with the environment! Sustainable development? How amusing!

Karl Farrugia

Jun 12th 2009, 17:30

I agree with George Cachia below. MCA should abolish provider-specific directories, written, online and by phone, in favour of a standardised, national directory spanning all providers on multiple media. By all providers, I also mean mobile providers, in which case the inclusion of a person's details would be up to the line-owner's explicit permission.
In an age where environmental concern are given such a high priority, it's shameful that so much paper is wasted on obsolete printed directories. Should this be too expensive for the government to handle, why not privatise the serivice by offering the exclusivity of such a service by bidding?
As a fine example of the this, one can point towards the Nowregian "Telefonkatalogen" (http://www.gulesider.no/tk/), which is the a private national catalogue service (including Yellow Pages, dubbed Gule Sider in Norway) run by Eniro and Telenor.

James Pullicino

Jun 12th 2009, 17:23

Who needs a telephone directory when you can store phone numbers on your mobile? And who still uses landlines anyway??

J.Tonna

Jun 12th 2009, 17:06

My suggestion is that MTA asks EVERYBODY if they are interested in having a printed telephone directory and having their particulars printed on it.
This may be done on pre-payment. At the same time MTA should see that the new directories have a larger font as the one we had 5 years ago was so small that I always use a magnifier to find a number. If need be they print it in two volumes.

N.Grima

Jun 12th 2009, 17:03

@ Jake Micallef -- do you really think that it's GO which pays for that directory rather than YOU as the consumer? there is, has never been, and will never ever be anything truly "free" in the whole world.

GEORGE CACHIA

Jun 12th 2009, 16:54

Is this just another sick joke that we periodically have to listen to. How could anyone use the 'current' telephone directory. it is more than four years out of date and as such is to be considered totally expired. Many numbers and addresses have been changed, and other service providers have entered the market. What sort of survey can be held with so many variables. Using the "Enquiries" helpline offers little relief since I personally have often been told that I could not be given the number I required unless I supplied the name, and full address of the subscriber I was seeking. This to fulfil data protection requirements!

It is the responsibility of the MCA regulator to issue an updated Malta Telephone Directory, with expenses to be borne 'pro-rata' by the service providers, and subsidised by a reasonable amount of advertising.

Anthony Magri

Jun 12th 2009, 16:34

Is this an excuse not to reprint the telephone Directory, the one in hand has become obsolite.
If you go to the overseas office of the GO you will surely find (at least so it was) a telephone directory of different countries. A telephone directory is never useless and ought to be kept up to date.

Louis Schembri

Jun 12th 2009, 16:26

i've been trying in vain to buy a telephone directory for a relative of mine who owns a holiday flat. Apparently if you have a telephone installed you must have a telephone directory in order to conform with MTA requirements to get an MTA licence. And yet even Go don't have any! Only in Malta!

M. Zammit

Jun 12th 2009, 16:25

Did anyone mention that when you call 1182 they end up giving you the wrong number and paying for it too!

Keith P. Tanti

Jun 12th 2009, 16:25

@ frans said

Dear Mr Said,
in today's e-world, the internet has replaced most printed media - why print so many directories when you can simply log on the internet and search throught the service provider's website?

I agree with the suggestion that 1182 calls should be free up to a limited mnumber of calls so people wont abuse of the service - but i also believe that there are still alot of people who do not use the internet, mostly people aged 50 years and over - so these would still need the directory.. becaus of the environmental impact of printing the directory, there should be an eco-tax so we wont have directories printed in vain.. ie only those who really need it woudl buy it.

Joe Cordina

Jun 12th 2009, 16:22

Besides being out of date, one would need a magnifying glass to read its miniscule print

Criss Camilleri

Jun 12th 2009, 16:21

Ok, we do understand this. So this is the begining of the END of this long time Book. Why not come out and say it. 'The Telephone Directory' is not going to be published for FREE anymore. Maybe it will now be on SALE for those, like me, who would want a copy.

A Micallef

Jun 12th 2009, 16:20

Perhaps if they stopped filing half the entries under T for The, it might be of some use. I do not know of any other country that lists entries under insignificant words such as 'the' instead of using the first significant word in the name.

Joe Borg

Jun 12th 2009, 16:14

'More than half of the Maltese population do not make use of the printed version of the telephone directory, a survey commissioned by the Malta Communications Authority found'.

Did the survey commissioned by the Malta Communicatins Authority stated the the last telephone directory available was last printed in 2004 if i'm not mistaken, mine is torne out with wear and tear.

'An alternative solution would be giving callers a limited number of free 118 calls'.

Yes of course, when you call 1182 and ask for a mobile, they tell you to call 1187 for Go Mobile phones and 1189 for vodafone phones, how about Melita, BayMobile and OneMobile phones..... It's all a farce, we need a whole one telephone directory both printed and online for all ages.

N. Bonello

Jun 12th 2009, 16:14

Surveys !
How come I'm never consulted by 'any' survey for my opinion on whatever. Are there a selected few who participate in all surveys ?

S. Calleja

Jun 12th 2009, 16:11

A free online telephone directory, such as the one on http://www.directory.com.mt is certainly faster to search and always updated by the subscribers themselves, besides not being bound to any particular telecomms company. However, such an idea will only work if people are ready to publish their details for others to find them. It's no use hiding one's details and then expecting to find other people's numbers.

J Farrugia

Jun 12th 2009, 16:09

Sinjuri tal-MCA, melta billi tistaqsu 700 ruh minn popolazzjoni ta' 400,000 ifisser li dak li jghidulkom huma huwa vangelu? Direttorju huwa obbligu taghkom li tohorguh ghalmenu darba f'5 snin u fl-imghoddi jekk tiftakru kienu johorgu biss addendum u kull ghaxar snin jinbidel kollu. U issa kif qed nifhem jien, ma tridux tohorgu diretturju gdid. Ghax xi whud qalulkom li ghandhom l-internet. Mur obsor.

frans said

Jun 12th 2009, 15:53

I had written in the Times so instead of replying, with sheer arrogance, they publish a so called survey. How can one call 118 when there are so many service providers. It will take some some 30 minutes to go through the land line and mobile systems. A telephone directory is a MUST. It has not been used recently because the last one is hoplessly out of date. Wake up people and keep us PROPERLY informed. Also: a directory is helpul to find addresses, especially when there are so many J. Borg, or C. Camilleri, etc.

Joe Galea

Jun 12th 2009, 15:39

The directory should be given to thos who opt to apply for one. I use internet as it is easier and faster and at the same time I am saving a lot of trees from being destroyed, less pollution, etc. The yellowpages should follow suite.

Philip Bonello

Jun 12th 2009, 15:37

Maybe if the Directory were to be more user friendly, with postcodes and other relevant info like cross references especially for organisations whose official name is different from the one they're known by, then maybe more people would start to use it. It would also help if it were printed more often. The present one is way out of date; no wonder people are not using it.

Michael Gatt

Jun 12th 2009, 15:32

Furthermore, there is clearly a need for the 50-64 age bracket... these people regularly use the directory, and thus its in the nation's interest to have such a directory... where is GO's reponsibility??

Luke Mifsud

Jun 12th 2009, 15:31

Personally I still make use of it.... half of the polutation is a hell of a lot of people to just ignore and stop printing it !!

I think GO should also include other providers, because now many people have their landline with Melita so at least has access to all phone numbers.

pscerri

Jun 12th 2009, 15:24

Maybe subscribers should be asked if they would need a printed copy or a cd version. Personally I use the online version however it's not always possible to connect to the internet. It seems a waste of resources and paper to print a directory that sixty percent do not use.

Michael Gatt

Jun 12th 2009, 15:15

I recall GO promised that it would print the telephone directory. Can GO give us an update??

G Caruana Dingli

Jun 12th 2009, 15:09

People don't use the telephone directory because the latest edition is hopelessly out of date! It would have been much more useful to conduct a survey asking how many people would use a regularly updated directory containg telephone numbers from all service providers. The directory is also useful to check addresses and postcodes, perhaps the next directory should be a collaboration between the MCA and Maltapost.

M Grech

Jun 12th 2009, 15:08

It is of little wonder that an outdated five year old pre-Melita directory becomes of little relevance. On the other hand I do wonder why one would need to commission a survey to come to such a conclusion. More money down the drain, I guess

Jake Micallef

Jun 12th 2009, 15:04

What MCa fails to show in its report is how to enforce its reccoemndation to safeguard the 50+ and elderly. This seems more like a massive PR campaign from the giants like GO to save on printing the directory which they promised ages ago!!! So much for MC "Authority"....

Mike Farrugia

Jun 12th 2009, 15:02

GO should ask its'customers to apply for a copy and demand a fee for it. Directories are a waste of money and paper. Yellow pages too should stop bombarding us with too many directories too often.
I hope that someday, a span tax comes into force and liberate us from too much unwanted post.

Marisa Attard

Jun 12th 2009, 14:57

Yes, I think consideration should be given to the elderly who do not have access to the internet.